46 FISHES OF FANCY. 



boldly self-reliant, preside over sea-fights, and are the 

 patrons of fishermen — whom they generously direct 



" To sweep smooth seas with nets, to drag the sand, 

 And draw the leaping captives to the land, 

 Lay cheating wires, or with unfaithful bait 

 The hook conceal, and get by the deceit." 



But the children born under the sign are, by a poetical 

 extension of the Venus tradition, hot-blooded, given to 

 jealousies and strife : 



" But could I rule, could I the Fates design, 

 The rising Fishes ne'er should govern mine ; 

 They give a hateful, prattling, railing tongue, 

 Still full of venom, always in the wrong," 



For the tradition is, that " when the skies grew weak and 

 giants strove, and snaky Typhon shook the throne of Jove," 

 Venus fled the tumultuous scene, and hiding herself in the 

 Euphrates as a fish, inspired the scaly, tribes with new 

 passions, " and with the Ocean mixt her Fire." So, too, the 

 Southern Fish claims Aphrodite's favour, for the legend 

 says that it saved her daughter from drowning in the Lake 

 Boethe ; and yet another claims for it that it is the pro- 

 genitor of all the fishes in the firmament. 

 Next " glowing " Cancer, 



" As close in 's shell he lies, affords his aid 

 To greedy merchants and inclines to trade." 



But over births his influence is hardly more auspicious 



than the Fishes', though in omen * it is happy — 



" The dream 's good, 

 The Crab is in conjunction with the Sun." 



* Under the influence of a conjunction of Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars, 

 which took place in the year 1604, Kepler was led to think that he 

 had discovered means for determining the true year of our Saviour's 

 birth. He made his calculations, and found that Jupiter and Saturn 



